LEAH WILLIAMSON and Ellen White led tributes to The Queen following her death at the age of 96.
The Lionesses aces are among the sports figures who hailed Her Majesty Elizabeth II following her passing with Williamson praising her “grace and decency”.
Yesterday evening Buckingham Palace announced The Queen, the longest-serving monarch in Britain’s history, had died at Balmoral after her reign of 70 years.
The solemn announcement prompted tributes from across the globe including from individuals from the world of sport.
On her Twitter page, Arsenal centre-back Williamson, who skippered England to their first Women’s Euros trophy win wrote: “A constant presence of grace and decency in a world that continued to change around her.
“An exceptional person. A light so bright, she was a warm voice amongst times of despair.
“A Queen who unified the people she dedicated her life to. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.”
In a tweet, Ellen White, who ended her playing career as a Euros winner and the Lionesses record goal scorer, wrote: “Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“Thank you for being such a remarkable and inspiring Monarch.”
Former England forward Eniola Aluko, who was part of the Lionesses team that reached the 2009 Euros final, tweeted: “Rest peacefully Your Majesty.
“I will never forget the honour of meeting Her Majesty and being chosen as a Queen’s young leader.
Read More on the Queen's death
“She was grace personified. God Save the Queen and God rest her precious soul.”
And ex-England and Arsenal ace Lianne Sanderson, who also played for the national team in the final of the 2009 tournament posted a moving tribute hailing The Queen’s “70 years of service”.
Clubs across the women’s football pyramid joined the country in mourning, sharing their condolences via their official social media accounts.
The Queen’s passing comes as…
In July Her Majesty Elizabeth II joined the nation in praising the Euros-winning Lionesses after they made history by becoming the first England team in 56 years to triumph at a major football tournament.
In a written message The Queen wrote: “My warmest congratulations and those of my family go to you all on winning the European Women’s football championships.
“It’s a significant achievement for your entire team including your support staff.
“The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise.
“However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.”
